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Gulf Coast Books
Dr. Arthur Spohn: Surgeon, Inventor, and Texas Medical Pioneer (Volume 32)
In this first comprehensive biography of Dr. Arthur Edward Spohn, authors Jane Clements Monday, Frances Brannen Vick, and Charles W. Monday Jr., MD, illuminate the remarkable nineteenth-century story of a trailblazing physician who helped to modernize the practice of medicine in Texas.
Arthur Spohn was unusually innovative for the time and exceptionally dedicated to improving medical care. Among his many surgical innovations was the development of a specialized tourniquet for “bloodless operations” that was later adopted as a field instrument by militaries throughout the world. To this day, he holds the world record for the removal of the largest tumor—328 pounds—from a patient who fully recovered.
Recognizing the need for modern medical care in South Texas, Spohn, with the help of Alice King, raised funds to open the first hospital in Corpus Christi. Today, his name and institutional legacy live on in the region through the Christus Spohn Health System, the largest hospital system in South Texas. This biography of a medical pioneer recreates for readers the medical, regional, and family worlds in which Spohn moved, making it an important contribution not only to the history of South Texas but also to the history of modern medicine.
Arthur Spohn was unusually innovative for the time and exceptionally dedicated to improving medical care. Among his many surgical innovations was the development of a specialized tourniquet for “bloodless operations” that was later adopted as a field instrument by militaries throughout the world. To this day, he holds the world record for the removal of the largest tumor—328 pounds—from a patient who fully recovered.
Recognizing the need for modern medical care in South Texas, Spohn, with the help of Alice King, raised funds to open the first hospital in Corpus Christi. Today, his name and institutional legacy live on in the region through the Christus Spohn Health System, the largest hospital system in South Texas. This biography of a medical pioneer recreates for readers the medical, regional, and family worlds in which Spohn moved, making it an important contribution not only to the history of South Texas but also to the history of modern medicine.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 12, 2018
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 17, 2019
"As was his usual demeanor, he refused to walk away from a difficult case and was determined to take the extra care needed to cure a patient."
This quote beautifully sums up the life and legacy of Dr. Arthur Spohn. Biographies such as this are so valuable and should continue to be written and treasured. Dr. Spohn's accomplishments and contributions to healthcare and medical practices are astounding. He never stopped learning and sharing his ideas and knowledge throughout his entire life.
Biographies can sometimes be tedious to read, with so many facts, names, dates, and places; however, acknowledging and understanding the legacies of these heroes and innovators are important for every generation that comes after. Fortunately, this book by Monday and Vick is filled with interesting details and anecdotes, and each chapter offers a glimpse into the medical realm from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s in the Texas Gulf Coast region and along the Texas/Mexico border. Canadian-born Dr. Spohn tirelessly pursued his passion for discovering and practicing innovative medical procedures to ease human suffering and save lives, including inventing implements to improve surgeries, advocating cleanliness and sterile hands and instruments, and caring for anyone and everyone who needed his skill, knowledge, and endless compassion.
Dr. Spohn was a wealthy man, by his education and hard work and by his marriage into an affluent family. But what sets this man apart is that he didn't turn people away and wasn't afraid to do whatever was needed to save a life. He never shied away from treating the poor and sharing his knowledge far and wide so that other physicians, nurses, and caregivers could benefit and treat their patients better and more successfully.
While Dr. Spohn no doubt had his faults, as do we all, this fascinating narrative focuses on his benevolence, successes, and propensity to serve where ever he was needed, even if that meant traveling miles in the dark along bad roads in a horse and buggy to get there in time to do everything necessary to save a life.
The narration is extensive, and it is sometimes difficult to keep straight all the names and facts, but the overall impression is quite entertaining and almost mesmerizing. The healthcare industry has come so far in such a short time, and the novel techniques developed out of necessity and even desperation are fascinating to read about, especially when they are still practiced today. In our modern world, it is easy to take what we have for granted and forget that many lives were lost simply because the surgeon did not wash his hands or because people disregarded quarantine initiatives to keep epidemics in check.
This biography expertly shows that people like Dr. Spohn were not afraid to blaze trails and go the extra mile to change the world and make it a better place. The snapshots scattered throughout are engaging and provide an entertaining peek into the past. Through this biography, the authors have impressively preserved and honored Dr. Spohn's history and legacy and that of his family and colleagues for us to enjoy and appreciate.
One of my favorite anecdotes is when Willie Chapman was attacked by a rabid coyote, and Dr. Spohn took him to Paris, France, to be treated by none other than Louis Pasteur himself. What is most astonishing is that they had to travel by sea, and time was of the essence. This story is one of many fascinating, harrowing, and even a bit gruesome stories in this biography.
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Dr. Spohn treating a woman with a 328-pound tumor! Read this compelling biography to find out more about this poor woman and about other medical wonders Dr. Spohn performed throughout his prolific medical career.
This quote beautifully sums up the life and legacy of Dr. Arthur Spohn. Biographies such as this are so valuable and should continue to be written and treasured. Dr. Spohn's accomplishments and contributions to healthcare and medical practices are astounding. He never stopped learning and sharing his ideas and knowledge throughout his entire life.
Biographies can sometimes be tedious to read, with so many facts, names, dates, and places; however, acknowledging and understanding the legacies of these heroes and innovators are important for every generation that comes after. Fortunately, this book by Monday and Vick is filled with interesting details and anecdotes, and each chapter offers a glimpse into the medical realm from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s in the Texas Gulf Coast region and along the Texas/Mexico border. Canadian-born Dr. Spohn tirelessly pursued his passion for discovering and practicing innovative medical procedures to ease human suffering and save lives, including inventing implements to improve surgeries, advocating cleanliness and sterile hands and instruments, and caring for anyone and everyone who needed his skill, knowledge, and endless compassion.
Dr. Spohn was a wealthy man, by his education and hard work and by his marriage into an affluent family. But what sets this man apart is that he didn't turn people away and wasn't afraid to do whatever was needed to save a life. He never shied away from treating the poor and sharing his knowledge far and wide so that other physicians, nurses, and caregivers could benefit and treat their patients better and more successfully.
While Dr. Spohn no doubt had his faults, as do we all, this fascinating narrative focuses on his benevolence, successes, and propensity to serve where ever he was needed, even if that meant traveling miles in the dark along bad roads in a horse and buggy to get there in time to do everything necessary to save a life.
The narration is extensive, and it is sometimes difficult to keep straight all the names and facts, but the overall impression is quite entertaining and almost mesmerizing. The healthcare industry has come so far in such a short time, and the novel techniques developed out of necessity and even desperation are fascinating to read about, especially when they are still practiced today. In our modern world, it is easy to take what we have for granted and forget that many lives were lost simply because the surgeon did not wash his hands or because people disregarded quarantine initiatives to keep epidemics in check.
This biography expertly shows that people like Dr. Spohn were not afraid to blaze trails and go the extra mile to change the world and make it a better place. The snapshots scattered throughout are engaging and provide an entertaining peek into the past. Through this biography, the authors have impressively preserved and honored Dr. Spohn's history and legacy and that of his family and colleagues for us to enjoy and appreciate.
One of my favorite anecdotes is when Willie Chapman was attacked by a rabid coyote, and Dr. Spohn took him to Paris, France, to be treated by none other than Louis Pasteur himself. What is most astonishing is that they had to travel by sea, and time was of the essence. This story is one of many fascinating, harrowing, and even a bit gruesome stories in this biography.
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Dr. Spohn treating a woman with a 328-pound tumor! Read this compelling biography to find out more about this poor woman and about other medical wonders Dr. Spohn performed throughout his prolific medical career.
April 11, 2021
When we in the US think of premier medical institutions in Texas, we immediately think of the University of Texas at Austin--Dell Medical School and of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Christus Spohn Medical Centers throughout the Corpus Christi metro are respected and innovative but not thought of as being premier. Dr Arthur Spohn the founder of the first Spohn hospital started the tradition of innovation in South Texas. Dr Spohn--among other innovations--brought rabies serum from the Pasteur Institute to Texas, a place where infected coyotes roamed and sometimes found people to bite and developed a rubber ring tourniquet which allowed Spohn to sometimes have bloodless surgeries and which allowed him better ability to perform surgeries without an assistant.
This book about Dr Spohn shows what enabled the doctor to innovate, build a practice, and eventually found a hospital.
* Commitment to excellence encouraged by his Canadian family.
* Support provided by various family members who were also doctors throughout South Texas.
* Resources provided through his own efforts and the support of the wealthy family of his wife and the wealthy back so leaders of the community in and near Corpus Christi.
The four (4) appendices inform the reader's knowledge of
* the innovative practices of Dr Spohn as described in various medical journal articles (Appendix 1, approx 40 pages)
* the strong feelings of and about Dr Spohn. Two poems: one describes the passion and the frustration of Dr Spohn and one describes how some in the community of Corpus Christi felt about the doctor. (Appendix 2)
* the family connections of both Dr Spohn and his wife Sarah, daughter of Mifflin Kennedy and his wife Petra Vela de Vidal Kennedy (Appendix 3)
* the Spohn Sanitarium Dedicatory Address in 1905 (Appendix 4)
My mother has spoken highly of Dr Spohn all her life. Dr Spohn treated patients of various ethnicities and religious denominations. An uncommon man of his times and of innovation.
Read for my personal challenge of 21 All About Texas in 2021.
This book about Dr Spohn shows what enabled the doctor to innovate, build a practice, and eventually found a hospital.
* Commitment to excellence encouraged by his Canadian family.
* Support provided by various family members who were also doctors throughout South Texas.
* Resources provided through his own efforts and the support of the wealthy family of his wife and the wealthy back so leaders of the community in and near Corpus Christi.
The four (4) appendices inform the reader's knowledge of
* the innovative practices of Dr Spohn as described in various medical journal articles (Appendix 1, approx 40 pages)
* the strong feelings of and about Dr Spohn. Two poems: one describes the passion and the frustration of Dr Spohn and one describes how some in the community of Corpus Christi felt about the doctor. (Appendix 2)
* the family connections of both Dr Spohn and his wife Sarah, daughter of Mifflin Kennedy and his wife Petra Vela de Vidal Kennedy (Appendix 3)
* the Spohn Sanitarium Dedicatory Address in 1905 (Appendix 4)
My mother has spoken highly of Dr Spohn all her life. Dr Spohn treated patients of various ethnicities and religious denominations. An uncommon man of his times and of innovation.
Read for my personal challenge of 21 All About Texas in 2021.
January 23, 2019
Had you asked me 10 years ago or so if I would read a biography and one that focused on a doctor that made strides in his field, my answer probably would have been no. Not that I wouldn't have thought that the book would have been good or contain worthwhile information, it just wouldn't have been my cup of tea. But as the years go by I find that history and biographies of pioneers are quite fascinating especially when penned by the right authors.
This book captured my interest from the beginning - and that means starting with the preface and acknowledgments all the way to the appendices. When I think of medicine in the mid to late 1800s, I think of doctors that didn't care equally about, or for, all of their patients, unsanitary conditions, and using old methods that maybe weren't the best. This book changed all of that with Dr. Spohn and his attention to detail, his innovations, and caring deeply for all of his patients no matter who they were or what was wrong with them. Plus Dr. Spohn wanted other doctors to benefit from his innovations and he took the time to share his knowledge with doctors around the country. He regularly contributed to medical journals (listed in Appendix 1) and sought out new and better ways to treat the ill.
This book is filled with anecdotes about his life, his family, and all those that were close to him. The family was quite large (as were many families in this time) and it was interesting to see the professions these individuals pursued. Some were also in medicine and worked with Dr. Spohn at different times. Not all of this book paints a rosy picture. There were some trying times for everyone.
Overall this was a very educational book and one that I recommend to anyone especially if they are in or interested in the medical field. How times have changed in the last 150 years! We give this 5 paws up.
This book captured my interest from the beginning - and that means starting with the preface and acknowledgments all the way to the appendices. When I think of medicine in the mid to late 1800s, I think of doctors that didn't care equally about, or for, all of their patients, unsanitary conditions, and using old methods that maybe weren't the best. This book changed all of that with Dr. Spohn and his attention to detail, his innovations, and caring deeply for all of his patients no matter who they were or what was wrong with them. Plus Dr. Spohn wanted other doctors to benefit from his innovations and he took the time to share his knowledge with doctors around the country. He regularly contributed to medical journals (listed in Appendix 1) and sought out new and better ways to treat the ill.
This book is filled with anecdotes about his life, his family, and all those that were close to him. The family was quite large (as were many families in this time) and it was interesting to see the professions these individuals pursued. Some were also in medicine and worked with Dr. Spohn at different times. Not all of this book paints a rosy picture. There were some trying times for everyone.
Overall this was a very educational book and one that I recommend to anyone especially if they are in or interested in the medical field. How times have changed in the last 150 years! We give this 5 paws up.
January 28, 2019
Quick Takeaways:
Horsehair as a ligature!
Kerosene and turpentine for medical uses!
Driving a horse and buggy in the dark of night!
Yes – back then doctors did use whiskey and prescribed it.
This book is an amazing research portal into the legacy of a doctor who lived and survived in the 1800s. It’s hard to imagine that medical innovations could have occurred towards the late 1800s given the lack of advanced technology that we have now but they did with Dr. Arthur Spohn.
After reading this book, I came away with is a new-found respect for doctors of that era. Imagine traveling hours by horse and buggy with limited supplies on hand to treat a patient, often in the dark of night. Imagine once you get there you have to become entrepreneurial enough to create something around you that saves a patient’s life. Dr. Spohn was a man who could think on his feet.
Incredible medical statistics are shared throughout the book. For example, in the span of one year, 150,000 Americans lost their lives to cholera, a disease that emerged from Canada.
Dr. Arthur Spohn is a well-written book that’s clearly been heavily researched. Dialogue does not carry this story in any way. What I found most intriguing were the medical miracles Spohn was a part of. Another interesting fact – it’s hard to imagine that doctors back then gave no thought to washing their hands before or after medical procedures – something that Spohn thought they should be doing – washing and cleanliness.
The appendices of a sampling of medical articles Dr. Spohn wrote on rabies to gunshot wounds is a testament to him wanting to share his knowledge and research with the medical community.
What Spohn did for William Willie Chapman Chamberlain is a medical miracle when it came to treating rabies in the late 1800s. Taking Willie all the way to Paris to the Pasteur Institute. I did a little research of my own and found out Willie lived to be 82. Additionally, it amazes me that cancer was already being detected. How in fact did doctors know what they were looking at?
The one item that made this book a challenging read was the lack of a Cast of Characters. While a genealogy timeline is provided a main character list would’ve made it less confusing to keep track of everyone.
Lingering question – whatever happened to Leap Year Balls?
If you love medical history this is a book that needs to be added to your library. If you love the history of South Texas then this book is a must add to your to be read list.
Horsehair as a ligature!
Kerosene and turpentine for medical uses!
Driving a horse and buggy in the dark of night!
Yes – back then doctors did use whiskey and prescribed it.
This book is an amazing research portal into the legacy of a doctor who lived and survived in the 1800s. It’s hard to imagine that medical innovations could have occurred towards the late 1800s given the lack of advanced technology that we have now but they did with Dr. Arthur Spohn.
After reading this book, I came away with is a new-found respect for doctors of that era. Imagine traveling hours by horse and buggy with limited supplies on hand to treat a patient, often in the dark of night. Imagine once you get there you have to become entrepreneurial enough to create something around you that saves a patient’s life. Dr. Spohn was a man who could think on his feet.
Incredible medical statistics are shared throughout the book. For example, in the span of one year, 150,000 Americans lost their lives to cholera, a disease that emerged from Canada.
Dr. Arthur Spohn is a well-written book that’s clearly been heavily researched. Dialogue does not carry this story in any way. What I found most intriguing were the medical miracles Spohn was a part of. Another interesting fact – it’s hard to imagine that doctors back then gave no thought to washing their hands before or after medical procedures – something that Spohn thought they should be doing – washing and cleanliness.
The appendices of a sampling of medical articles Dr. Spohn wrote on rabies to gunshot wounds is a testament to him wanting to share his knowledge and research with the medical community.
What Spohn did for William Willie Chapman Chamberlain is a medical miracle when it came to treating rabies in the late 1800s. Taking Willie all the way to Paris to the Pasteur Institute. I did a little research of my own and found out Willie lived to be 82. Additionally, it amazes me that cancer was already being detected. How in fact did doctors know what they were looking at?
The one item that made this book a challenging read was the lack of a Cast of Characters. While a genealogy timeline is provided a main character list would’ve made it less confusing to keep track of everyone.
Lingering question – whatever happened to Leap Year Balls?
If you love medical history this is a book that needs to be added to your library. If you love the history of South Texas then this book is a must add to your to be read list.
January 25, 2019
I need to start off by saying I love reading biographies, and memoirs. I love learning about people! And in going into any nonfiction book, it is important to know that some areas may seem dry with all its facts and figures - but ultimately, you have to remember that these bits matter when you're learning about your subject.
In the case of this book, Dr. Spohn was a fascinating person to read about. He had a wealthy background, sure, but what struck me the most interesting was his commitment to treat anyone who needed it - whether they could "afford" it or not. To do this during a time where the technology we have today didn't exist is just astounding. That's the other plus of reading about Dr. Spohn's life - you also learn so much about the medical field before everything we know now. I learned extensive information about how very different being a doctor was back then to what appears to be now than I did before picking up this book.
This book is best for people who love to learn about other people, and ESPECIALLY if you have a specific interest in medical history. It is written in a way that flows and that the average (i.e. non-doctor lol) can understand. Definitely worth picking up!
In the case of this book, Dr. Spohn was a fascinating person to read about. He had a wealthy background, sure, but what struck me the most interesting was his commitment to treat anyone who needed it - whether they could "afford" it or not. To do this during a time where the technology we have today didn't exist is just astounding. That's the other plus of reading about Dr. Spohn's life - you also learn so much about the medical field before everything we know now. I learned extensive information about how very different being a doctor was back then to what appears to be now than I did before picking up this book.
This book is best for people who love to learn about other people, and ESPECIALLY if you have a specific interest in medical history. It is written in a way that flows and that the average (i.e. non-doctor lol) can understand. Definitely worth picking up!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews